Pharaoh
by ivygrah
Summary: Alphard Black is an unspeakable with countless enemies. Dumbledore is sensible. Riddle is more dangerous. AU


**1960, July, somewhere unplottable.**

Albus Dumbledore emerged from the fireplace alight in green light. Even most oblivious of observes would be able to say that he was troubled. This was highly unusual for a man like Dumbledore, who above all valued the power of misdirection and was, in addition, a master of occlumency, the art of shielding one's mind.

Dumbledore sighed as he looked upon the empty and dusty living room. Every time he came to visit his friend and confidant, the elusive unspeakable Pharaoh, Albus left the untidy, unkept place partially convinced that Pharaoh should not live alone or that the house elf he knew Pharaoh kept should actually get some work done. It was unadvisable to live in such an unhighgeanic place but his friend remained unmoved at Albus's urgings to tidy it up.

According to Pharaoh, it gave the place 'character' though Albus suspected his friend was merely too lazy to bother.

After looking around and discovering that Albus's constant pleas to make his home less germ friendly were ignored once more, Dumbledore cast Homenum Revello to make sure that Pharaoh was at home.

Albus felt priviledged that he was one of the few people who had the secret of Pharaoh's home revealed to themselves. This hole house and the lands around it were protected by a Fidelius charm, Pharaoh himself being the secret keeper.

Most wizards would have called pharaoh paranoied but Dumbledore knew, partly out of experience, that caution unlike bravery paid off much more often. He was also a firm believer of the saying 'it's not paranoia if they're out to get you'.

Both Albus and Pharaoh had enemies.

And that was one of the reason's why Albus was here in the first place.

He went up the intricate staircase and entered the office his friend used for work. Pharaoh sat hunched on a stool, his face a mask of concentration as he measured and poured what to Albus's trained eye looked like aluminum powder into the mixture that was boiling in the gold cauldron below.

That had been how the two actually met. Pharaoh, in his unpeakable glamour that protected his identity, had approached Albus, who was well known to be an expert of Alchemy which was partially due to his drive to learn as a kid and partially due to extensive training under the guisence of Nicholas Flamel.

He had introduced himself as an unspeakable Pharaoh and that he wished to learn Alchemy and hoped that Albus would be willing to teach him. Pharaoh had even proposed to pay him for the service but Albus merely asked that Pharaoh would make a donation to Hogwarts and he obliged most generously.

The two had quickly bonded over the intricasies of Alchemy and became good friends. This had been thirteen years ago.

Being an Unspeakable, Pharaoh had little reason to interact with well known figures, much less a wonder wizard who once defeated a highly feared dark lord.

To unpskeables public life was out of the question. They were only useful and succesful at their jobs if they remained anonymous, hence the codenames. Unspeakables were warlocks (a term that was politically correct term, emcompassing both witches and wizards) who dabbled into most obscure of magics for the joy of discovery, Albus himself suspected their work was much more extensive, perhaps even occasionally touched upon espionage, but he would never jeopardice his friendship with Pharaoh to appeace his curiosity.

After more than a decade of spending most of their free time with each other the two had become each others confidants. Albus taught Pharaoh all he knew of Alchemy and in return he got an unrepending supply of muggle vinals for christmas and birthdays, not to mention a time turner for his seventhieth birthday. Pharaoh confided in Albus that he had been banned from People's Republic of China, and that he had chosen his codename because he had always been somewhat obssed with Egyptians and Albus introduced him to the Flamels. Pharaoh told Albus about the Unbreakable vow each unspeakable had to make before entering the department, a vow not to divulge any information about their discoveries to a non unspeakable and how sometimes Pharaoh regretted it, because it made him unable to share the wonderful discoveries that could advance the life of many. After that Albus shared his fears of the future that were largely centered around Tom Riddle.

Albus suspected that Pharaoh was younger than him, perhaps even someone who he had taught once but that did not mean the two could not relate to each other or be of help.

"Base for breaking down carbon, I see." Albus commented as he went to sit down on a nearby armchair.

Pharaoh grunted, not diverting his attention from the brew. He measured and poured more powedered ingredients before deeming it satisfactory and sealing the contents of the hot gold cauldron air tight with a flick of his wand.

"Did something happened, Albus?" He sounded tired, though none of this was evident in his glamoured face. The most that could be said about the face was that it was non descript.

"Indeed, Pharaoh. I'm afraid that I may have angered the snake, my friend."

"Riddle's back?"

"Yes, he had just asked me for the defense post."

Pharaoh snorted. "Defense, him?"

"Ironic, I thought so too. I had declined to make hima teacher, though I'm afraid this might make him advance his plans quicker."

"His plans for world domination, you mean?" Pharaoh sounded annoyed. "You should have assasinated him on the spot and be done with it, Albus. Problem solved."

Albus glared at his friend. Pharaoh never censored himself and the few times he had lied to Albus he had done it so out of friendship not out of need to deceive.

"If every one took law in their own hands, the world would crumble under anarchy, Pharaoh. Besides, killing is not an option. I suspect he had done something to make himself rather hard to inhume, he seemed less human than ever."

Pharaoh studied him interested suddenly. "He is a dark wizard, Albus. I suppose it's not entirely impossible. Have I ever told you precisely why I was banned from China?"

* * *

**1961, January, Grimauld place, the House of Black**

Alphard Black studied the family tree with disdain. His older sister ( by merely one measily year) Walburga insisted that he be present for his second nephew's birth but Alphard had laid down the law and told her that while he would certainly meet his newly born nephew, he will not witness his own sister giving birth.

The fact that it was their cousin who was the father of said nephew was already pushing the already worn down boundaries.

Alphard held his one year old niece Saggita as he talked about the tapestry.

"You see, Sag, Blacks, we're all horribly imbred. Let's just hope that your brother doesn't come out retarted, because it's entirely possible. I guess, though, it's not that bad if your mother and father are related. At least they both waited till they were in their thirties. Your grandma Pollux was just thirteen when he got grandma pregnant. My grandfather Phineas Nigellus died because of it, you know, at least that's what they say. Two times the same shame in the same family, it broke him. You see, Pollux's dad had him when he himself was thirteen, that's why your mom is only five years younger than her aunt Dorea. Poor Dorea, she joined aurors, you know, and married Potter, who's older than dirt. Never trust Potters, Sirius, they only get you into trouble. That's why she died battling Grindelwald's troups. She was barely twenty five at the time. Wasted her youth on a man forty years her senior. Terrible waste, terrible. And now Potter's gone and remarried. To an Egyptian royalty, no less. They had a son last year, James, I think and it's times like these when you just want to murder someone, you know, though that could be the inbreeding talking."

"Alphard!" His cousin's voice reached Alphard, succesfully putting him out of this stroll down the memory lane. "It's a boy! Regulus!" He sounded happy, which in Alphard's mind most of the time meant one of Orion's enemies was dying.

But it seemed even dark wizards had their moments.


End file.
